Sukeroku

Sukeroku presents the celebrated kabuki hero — the swaggering townsman Sukeroku, who beneath his commoner's disguise is actually a samurai seeking his family's stolen sword — with the bold colors and theatrical energy that made Mori's kabuki prints so effective. The character's distinctive purple headband, blue umbrella, and elegant yet defiant posture were among the most recognizable icons in all of Japanese popular culture, and Mori's stencil technique captured the vivid theatricality of the role with appropriate visual force. Sukeroku embodied the spirit of the Edo townsman — intelligent, stylish, and unwilling to defer to power for its own sake.